Girlfriend claimed his painting as her own, then asked him to make one for her mom — before game night, he added his initials to the 4-foot canvas
Instead of correcting her, the girlfriend replied, 'thank you, that one took me FOREVER.'
Living with a partner means sharing space, memories, and more, but you should never blur credit for individual talent. A frustrated artist recently shared his story on the r/AITApod on Reddit after he encountered his girlfriend stealing credit for his painting. Shared on October 15, 2026, this dilemma sparked a huge debate among netizens, gaining 4,000 upvotes and 724 comments.
Stole his credit casually
The drama began over a 4-foot canvas of a childhood lake that the artist painted a year ago. The painting now hangs in the apartment he shares with his girlfriend. During a game night, when the girlfriend's friends were at the apartment, a friend admired the piece, saying, "your painting is gorgeous, you should sell them." Instead of correcting her, the girlfriend replied, "thank you, that one took me FOREVER." When he confronted her later, she laughed it off, claiming her coworkers had assumed she painted it from a photo and it was "too weird to correct now." He told her it bothered him, but initially let the matter go.
Doubling down for her mother
Things worsened when her mother asked for a similar painting as a Christmas gift. The girlfriend asked him to paint one that she could give her mother as her own work. He offered to paint one "from both of us," but she refused, claiming "that would ruin it because her mom would know she lied." Frustrated by her insistence on continuing the lie, he signed his initials in the bottom corner of the original canvas just hours before their next game night.
Exposed and embarrassed
The move exposed the lie when a friend noticed the new signature and asked, "Wait, whose initials are those?" Forced to admit the truth, the girlfriend was humiliated, and game night turned deeply awkward. After the guests left, she accused him of deliberately humiliating her in front of her friends, arguing, "It's our painting since it's in our apartment." With her mother still expecting a Christmas gift, the artist was left wondering if he went too far.
Small lies
A 2019 study published in PLOS ONE surveyed 194 adults about their everyday lying and perceived ability to deceive. People who rated themselves as better liars also reported telling more lies, including inconsequential ones, and lying more to colleagues and friends. The findings concern self-reported behavior, rather than independently tested lying ability.
That's a red flag
Several commenters sided with the artist, arguing that his girlfriend had taken credit for his work and then expected him to maintain the lie. Calling out the absurdity, user u/chileman131 wrote, "NTA, If she's lying about this, what else is she lying about?" Another user, u/rastagrrl, strongly advised: "NTA. Breakup with this person. She lies and unapologetically steals your work. Why would you want to be with someone like that?"
The post has since been deleted.
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